Livelihood-Based Social Protection for Orphans and Vulnerable Children: Success Stories from Malawi

This network paper documents success stories from Malawi of livelihood-based social protection programmes for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). The programmes have improved the lives of the children they reach significantly. They have demonstrated that with a livelihood-based approach, notable changes can be achieved in children’s lives, including improved food and nutrition security, acquisition of productive livelihood skills, improved health, spiritual and social life, and reduced poverty and vulnerability. There is an urgent need to learn from these stories and increase our efforts to extend and replicate such programmes throughout the region, so that we can reach a larger number of vulnerable children.

This paper is a critical document for sharing best practices and lessons learned and advocating for the promotion and scaling up of livelihood based social protection programmes for orphans and vulnerable children. This type of programming addresses the core of the issue of the persistent vulnerability of children as a result of HIV and AIDS, poverty and other social challenges which persist, despite the extensive work being done by a number of social services and humanitarian organizations. The paper documents durable solutions that meet the inadequacies of current interventions and programmes.